


I'm A Space Cowboy

by CardboarianNights



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Abandonment, Alternative Universe - Alien in disguise, Jesse joins Blackwatch at 20, M/M, Mutual Pining, Romance, Xeno!Jesse, some gore but no organ description, starts in Blackwatch Era, yes you do see Jesse in his other form
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-25
Updated: 2016-11-25
Packaged: 2018-09-02 04:53:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8651743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CardboarianNights/pseuds/CardboarianNights
Summary: Jesse McCree has always been a bit of a space case but Gabriel would never dream that it was literal. Not that McCree wanted anyone to know anyways, especially the commander that trusted Jesse to always have his back as his right hand man.





	

Looking back at it, Reyes should have been paying more attention.

 

The massive explosion on Route 66 that killed off the infamous weapons dealers, the Deadlock Gang, and left the twenty year old Jesse McCree alive as the sole survivor of the incident. The dead looks in the boy’s eyes when he thought no one was looking at him in his early days in Blackwatch. His tendency to shower last and insistence to sew up himself when he got injured on missions. The way they had to drag him to surgery after he lost his arm.

 

Jesse McCree was a stubborn individual, one who got better as the years dragged on, but Gabe should have been more skeptical of the young sharp shooter and his uncanny ability to survive no matter how bleak the mission. The way he dragged Reyes through a fucking desert, unconscious, and found an outpost in the dunes to get help from the local natives.

 

The sight of dark black bone sticking out of his body when it should have been white was the biggest red flag that everyone chose to ignore.

 

Jesse had been by Gabriel’s side for ten years now and didn’t expect the cowboy to throw himself on Gabriel during a firefight with Talon agents then literally explode. An RPG that should have taken their lives tore away Jesse’s flesh, revealing a black exoskeleton under the muscle and blood that was spread everywhere. 

 

It was like a terrifying dream. Something out of a Ridley Scott film come to life and shielding Gabriel as it’s body continued to flex unnaturally to fill out back to its ‘natural’ form, no longer forced to condense itself in a human shell. The Talon agents and Gabriel’s blackwatch team members staring horrified as the loud cracking of it’s bones setting and shifting as it grew in height, knees shifting inwards and a boney tail dropping down from its place against his back. Several dark brown eyes across its elongated skull, seeing everything and causing him to wobble from only using two of them for so long.

 

“Je-Jesse…?” Gabriel breath as the creature looked down at him with such sorrowful eyes.

 

The gunfire started again and Jesse lunge, grabbing the Talon agent’s head and smashing it into a metal container with ease. Blood and brain matter dripped from his black clawed hands onto the floor as he dropped the corpse and narrowed his eyes at the other agents sending Talon scurrying away with their tails between their legs from the warehouse. The Blackwatch agents apparently dragged Reyes out from the open and aimed their weapons at him. Jesse laid down, curled in a ball and passed out, allowing them to collect him after they fixed up a metal container to transport him in. 

 

Everyone was confused and terrified at Overwatch HQ when they brought back Jesse in a metal transport container.. Had Jesse been abducted by aliens on a mission? Did aliens implant their own to grow inside Jesse? Gabriel kept Jesse in one of the interrogation rooms, all of his belongings, including his cot moved there so he was kept comfortable. The guard rotation of trusted Blackwatch agents were more to keep the scientists out of the room while Jesse recovered, his body slowly shifting back into the state immediately after the RPG exposed his xenomorph body to Gabriel. Only Gabriel went inside to feed Jesse and talk to him, even though he was absolutely silent as his skin and muscles started to regrow over his exoskeleton. His arm that he lost several years ago did not grow back during his recovery period over several weeks so Gabriel scheduled him to have his arm hardware installed in the medbay after he fully recovered from tissue regrowth.

 

It looked incredibly painful to hear his bones cracking and slowly shifting back into place but Gabriel paid no mind as he sat in a chair next to Jesse’s cot and worked on his tablet, occasionally leaving to get food, attend meetings or go use the bathroom. The interrogation room windows were covered up with cardboard to give Jesse some sense of privacy and Gabriel even ordered in a new cot that could be programmed to warm up to provide him more comfort. Jesse spent so much time sleeping that it would have worried Gabriel had he not made frequent checks to see how his tissue regrowth was going. Apparently they didn’t have to worry about infection or contamination like they would with human tissues since the exoskeleton was clearly his main body, completely undamaged when they had the medical staff bring their portable equipment down to run tests on Jesse’s body when he slept.

 

Gabriel pulled fucking rank on everybody who tried to conduct invasive procedures on Jesse since he was still a member of Blackwatch and his subordinate, alien or not. Jack, Ana, and Angela were the only ones permitted into the room and Jack respected Gabriel enough to help him out through the whole ordeal to keep Jesse’s secret on lockdown. Not even the UN would find out about Jesse’s condition while they were in charge.

 

One month past and Jesse’s external cover was completely healed, looking like his regular cowboy self, sans any hair. It was only then that Jesse broke his month-long silence, sat up on his cot with the comforters over his lap, and smiled at his boss as he came in with breakfast.

 

“Mornin’, Gabe. Ya guys find my hat yet?”

 

Gabriel looked at him as he felt his heart twist in his throat. He set the tray of food down on the tablet by his own chair and sat down on the warm bed by the hairless cowboy. Jesse hardly moved or even made a noise for an entire month and suddenly he was back like the mission never happened. 

 

Seriously, McCree? You’re worried about your hat?” Gabriel chuckled as he watched Jesse huff in response and wrap the thick blankets around him.

 

“I happen to like my hat, thank ya very much!” Jesse pouted like he wasn’t a fucking full grown man in his thirties and part of a black ops unit.

 

Gabriel sighed and shook his head with a smile on his lips, unable to be frustrated with Jesse after all that happened and his very unnatural silence. 

 

“‘Sides. I’d rather ya kill me with my hat on my head then without it.” 

 

Gabriel narrowed his eyes at him. “You have a lot of nerve thinking I would let you be killed after saving my life, Jesse McCree.”

 

Jesse looked at his boss incredulously and leaned away from him before looking terrified. “Ya ain’t going experiment on me, right?!”

 

Gabriel pinched the bridge of his nose tightly and sighed harshly. “No. No one is going to fucking touch you or treat you any differently than before this whole mess happened, McCree. Jack and I have no doubt of your loyalty after all these years.”

 

Jesse justifiably didn’t look any bit convinced by that and it was understandable he wouldn’t trust anyone now that his secret was out. It kind of made sense why Jesse didn’t particularly enjoy Sci-fi movies, especially the ones where their were visible depictions of aliens and them getting tortured by humans. He especially didn’t like the sci-fi horror genre and to think all these years Jesse happened to look like one of those monsters from the 80’s film probably didn’t sit well with him either. He was afraid of them finding out what he really was.

 

Sci fi horror films were officially off the list from Blackwatch movie night.

 

“I have a new hat for you sitting on my desk. You want to get changed around and eat while I get it?”

 

“You make your famous breakfast burritos or is my nose not workin’ right?” Jesse smirked as Gabriel got off the bed.

 

“Yep. Figured we could up you from gruel. Angela says to hold off on the hot sauce though.” Gabriel shrugged.

 

“Whaaaat? Ya serious?” 

 

“Angela took some samples of your stomach acid and was surprised you could even break down all the shit you eat.” Gabriel snickered, earning a smile from the cowboy in return. 

 

“Nah. Knowing ya, Gabe, you wouldn’t even let her in the basement with a syringe much less take a sample of lil’ ol’ me. Pretty sure I’m out of date for a few vaccinations with the way ya meddle on my behalf.” 

 

In hindsight, it was a genius move on his part to not vaccinate Jesse if he wasn’t exactly human. God knows what sort of reactions he could have to it much less how his alien biology might cause kind of outbreak of vaccine-resistant super virus. Not that humanity didn’t fucking have enough of that shit already.

 

“I’m going to get your hat, McCree. I’ll see if we can at least get you some ketchup on the way back.” 

 

“That’d be better than nothin’, if ya ask me, Boss!” He chuckled in amusement, giving Gabriel something to smile about as he stepped out of the room and made sure to lock it up tight with the scanners he installed earlier in the week so only he could get the door open.

 

No one was going to fuck around with McCree, alien or not. The fact that he continued to smile and be of good cheer, regardless of his situation, was a huge weight off of Gabe’s shoulders. He was going to need a lot of support to return his life back to some state of normalcy and Gabriel was more than capable of making sure that happened. Gabriel didn’t pull Jesse out of New Mexico for nothing and turn him into a respectable human being just for it to explode in his face. McCree hadn’t stabbed him in the back for ten years and he wasn’t going to go second guessing just because he was from outer space.

 

\--

 

Jesse was dressed back up in his Blackwatch uniform without his usual chest plate and sitting at the table eating his breakfast burrito, apparently finishing off two from the stack of four while he was gone. He plopped the hat right on Jesse’s bald head and took a seat at the table next to him to pluck the last burrito off the plate to eat.

 

“So, how long am I gonna be stuck in here, Gabe?” Jesse asked quietly, looking down at the half eaten burrito in his hand with a solemn look on his face. “And I’m not talking about breaks to go take a piss or shower either.”

 

Gabriel frowned, unsure of how he was going to handle this considering, well, everything. On one hand, he wanted to personally believe it was nobody’s business discriminating against Jesse while on the other hand this was technically a first contact with alien life form that he had to assume might hold hostile intentions. 

 

“It’s complicated. I don't have an answer for you right now and I’m honestly sorry about that.”

 

Jesse hummed and took another slow bite of his burrito as Gabriel did, them both sitting in comfortable silence and elbowing each like they usually did when they ate breakfast together, trying to draw a laugh from the other first. The Blackwatch agents were convinced for about five years that they were secretly married to each other with the weird habits they had that involved the other, some of it didn't even make much sense to Gabe but he went along with it anyways since it kept Jesse happy. 

 

Jesse finished up his burrito, licking his finger clean with a happy moan of approval before pouring himself another glass of orange juice. He picked up his glass and leaned back against his chair as he took a long gulp before setting it back down with a satisfied sigh.

 

“Ya know. I’m feelin’ mighty talkative if ya go the time to spare, that is.” Jesse drawled with a warm smile on his face, one that always made Gabe’s heart leap right out of his chest whenever he saw those sad eyes of his contrast to his smile.

 

“Yeah. I got all the time you need, Jesse.”

 

McCree sighed in relief and propped his feet up on the table as he leaned back in his chair.

 

“Best to start from where it’s relevant and work my way backwards and forwards from there. Let me know if anythin’ confuses ya, alright?”

 

Gabe nodded his head and gave Jesse his undivided attention.

 

“Alright, let’s state the obvious then; I’m what yer kind calls an ‘extraterrestrial’ or an ‘alien’. Was sent here from a couple of solar systems away when our planet’s equivalent of a government caught sight of one of yer old satellites drifting by. It wasn't workin’ but it still made us all curious for the same reasons ya’ll sent it out in the first place. I was the equivalent to a… secretary maybe? Our roles are so drastically hard to put into terms that make sense to humans. 

 

Anyways, my ass of a boss volunteered me for the space program and I got deployed to Earth to infiltrate and report on the odds of yer society invading ours. It was all a bunch of bullshit. I get here and find that yer too busy fightin’ robots and only colonized yer moon that there was no way ya’ll had the tech to get to us, much less put up a fight. The moment home heard that they went and cut me loose. No flight home or nothin’ regardless of their promises. Turns out yer planet didn't have anything that I could use to fuel up my craft and leave. Had to literally grow skin and then learn the language from Deadlock for a few years until someone of them got the strange idea that there was a spaceship in the desert…

 

Once they brought it back to the compound I set the charges and blew it to kingdom come since it wasn’t useful to me anyways. I’d been abandoned by my own people after all and I wasn’t gonna let an under developed world get their hands on alien tech. Blackwatch just happened to show up the day I finally had the luxury of disposing of my ship without getting caught red handed.”

 

Jesse looked down sadly before looking at Gabriel. “I wanted to tell ya, Gabe. After ya brought me in and gave me new purpose in life by yer side, I felt like it was yer right to know what I was but-”

 

“We’re not exactly fond of each other and even omnics to consider the possibility of… Someone new entering the picture.” Gabriel filled in for him sympathetically, watching smile softly as he nodded his head in agreement.

 

“I was honestly surprised no one shot me in the head when I laid down in the warehouse.”

 

“Ever thought that just maybe we could overlook you being an alien if you made no attempts to attack any of us and send Talon running for the hills? Saving my life by taking a fucking RPG to the back was also something I took into consideration as well.” Gabriel huffed in slight annoyance.

 

“I just- Come on, Gabe. I’ve been livin’ ten years in fear of ya’ll freakin’ out if ya ever found out about my secret. I was so sure ya would kill me anyways when you looked up at me with so much fear in your eyes, Gabe…” Jesse took his feet off the table and wrapped his arm around himself, on the verge of breaking down. Gabriel scooted over and placed his hand on Jesse’s back, rubbing slow, soothing circles as tears rolled down Jesse’s cheeks. “I-I felt like it had to be over.”

 

“It’s not, Jesse.” Gabriel reassured him as he allowed Jesse to rest his head against his shoulder, holding the other man close to him. “If everything you told me is the truth then I have nothing to worry about.”

 

“I could be a sleeper agent for an invading force, Gabe. I know for a fact ya can’t trust me like ya used to before.”

 

Gabriel hated that Jesse was right. Hated that he would have to watch his back once more with McCree and before to start over from scratch in order to regain trust. He wrapped his arms around Jesse and let him sob into his hoodie. Jesse lost so much by protecting Gabriel and all he could do was try to pull some strings to try to make his life comfortable at the very least.

 

\--

 

Jesse was pulled from the Blackwatch agent roster until further notice. It was what had to be done as Commander of Blackwatch, no matter how much Gabriel wanted to avoid doing so. He had Jesse stay as close as possible with him, but he was doing the same as well, hovering around Gabriel whenever they left Blackwatch territory to go grab food from the cafeteria instead of making it in the communal Blackwatch kitchen. Jack, Ana, Reinhardt, Torbjorn, Angela, and Fareeha were glad to see the two wander out from the depths of Blackwatch’s basement after he got his prosthetic arm put back on, especially Fareeha, who was like a little sister to McCree.

 

“Jesse!!” The ten year old excitedly cried out as she saw Jesse and Gabe enter the larger Overwatch recreation room. Jesse was still in the process of growing his hair back out, it was more similar in length to Jack’s now and his eyebrows had complete grown back two weeks ago.Jesse grinned happily as he caught Fareeha as she jumped into his arms, swinging her around once before setting her down on the ground.  
“Hey there, Missy! Been awhile since I’ve seen ya!” He winked playfully at her before plopping his hat right on her head.

 

“You feeling better? Mom says you got hurt really bad on your last mission and they wouldn’t let me down the elevator to see you.” She looked at his short hair with some major concern. “Why did you cut your hair?! Did Gabe make you do it?!”

 

Gabriel was busy talking with Jack and Ana on the couch in front of the holo tv so he either ignored her accusation (most likely) or didn’t hear her (unlikely). Jesse chuckled in amusement as they walked together over to another couch to fire up the video game system and the holo tv. He passed her the second controller as they waited for the menu to pop up so they could select their game.

 

“Nah. Got real sick and they shaved it so they could stick tubes and stuff directly into my skull.” Jesse answered casually. “Ooh we got a new fightin’ game in?!” He added, all starry-eyed and excited as the opening cinematic played.

 

Fareeha was grinning from ear to ear. “Uh huh! It was gonna be your ‘get well’ present but Gabe and mom wouldn’t let me on the Blackwatch elevator.”

 

“Ya ain’t allowed to go down to the basement anyways, Fareeha. Spooky ghosts and Bob the alligator lives down there.” He snickered with Fareeha as he brought up their inside joke.

 

“You said Bob only eats bad people, Jesse.” She laughed as she shoved his flesh arm lightly. “That an toilet paper!”

 

“Yeah. He ain’t the smartest gator for going through all of our toilet paper but he certainly know good people from bad!”

 

“Has he learned to flush yet?” She cackled as they continued with their ‘potty’ humor, selecting her badass female fighting character while Jesse pondered on who to choose.

 

Gabriel felt a lot more at ease having Jesse and Fareeha back to having play dates again even if it did mean that both him and Ana had to make room in their busy schedules to make it happen. Ana kept glancing over the top of the couch to watch the two of them play and even Jack was doing the same from time to time no matter how interesting the topic was to him as they talked.

 

“Nervous, Jack?” Gabriel asked, watching in amusement as the blonde suddenly snapped his attention back to Gabe with a bashful smile on his face.

 

“N-No! Not at all! He seems like he’s doing well, is all!” 

 

Gabriel quirked a brow at Jack and made the Strike-Commander fumble that much more as Ana chuckled.

 

“Adjustment will take some time, Gabriel. It is a lot to process for us considering all things.” Ana hummed. “Especially Jesse McCree having short hair.”

 

Gabriel smirked and rolled his eyes at that last statement. He was well aware that getting Jesse access outside of Blackwatch was good step in the right direction to earn him back his freedoms and get him back on active status. Jesse was doing well regardless of all the wary stares he gets from the Blackwatch agents and the VERY few Overwatch people who actually know the truth about him.

 

Jesse needed the normalcy back in his life badly if his barking laughter at Fareeha’s bad jokes were any indication of how much he missed being top-side for two months. Gabriel always made his reports as detailed as possible but overly encrypted the files to make sure it wouldn't make jackshit sense to anyone who was out of the loop. Jack and Ana were keep their eyes out top-side for any possible leak while Gabriel kept his agents under tight leashes. They were incredibly lucky that the warehouse did not have security cameras nor did any of the Blackwatch agents have any sort of video recording devices on hand to catch the entire spectacle and Talon has been operating like it usually has based on Gabe’s sources.

 

His gut feelings didn't agree with him though. Talon had at least six agents firing at them in that warehouse after they were ambushed with McCree lowering the number to five after he went aggressive without his human flesh. He’s digging into his sources more than usual but stays vague about what he’s looking for, hoping one of them will eventually tell him an off-hand rumor about Overwatch hiding an alien in its ranks.

 

Gabriel keeps all eyes open after he and Jesse head back down after picking up some take out from a nearby food joint both of them liked. 

 

\--

 

Jesse’s hair is growing longer, almost back to it’s original length before the explosion and he’s curiously letting a beard grow out. Both of them are taking missions again after Jack gave permission to let him put Jesse back on active duty status in Blackwatch. Gabe didn't let his training go to waste in the downtime period after Jesse was cleared to resume training. He was aggressive with honing Jesse back into the fine blade he once was and putting the training mats to good use.

 

Jesse’s return to form was slow so the only mission both of them went on were simple honeypot ones where McCree wouldn't have to exert his re-strengthening muscles and saved all of that time for physical training when they got back. 

 

In doing the honeypot missions, he finally realized what was off about the otherwise normal Jesse McCree; He stopped flirting shamelessly with Gabriel. 

 

Gabriel stayed silent about it, wanting to support Jesse’s choices if he felt too uncomfortable to flirt with him or anyone else who knew his secret. It was painful to see Jesse look up at him after Gabriel pinned him on the mat for the third time in a row in a ‘compromising’ position, smug grin ready to ask Gabe the age old ‘you have a gun in your pocket or are you just happy to see me’ line but then sharply reconsider it. Those awkward moments that Jesse made more awkward were now cringe worthy in a completely different way, very much not Jesse-like at all.

 

Gabe found himself missing the stupid innuendos and how they danced the line between appropriate or inappropriate flirting between commander and subordinate.

 

That’s when Jesse managed to get a pin on Gabe that he looked up at him mischievously. 

 

“I get why you like it when I pin you down so much, Jesse, the view isn't that bad from here.”

 

Jesse’s face flushed red adorably for the first time in what felt like years to Gabriel and he had to suppress the urge to hold him against him on the mat. They were the only ones in the room but he had no idea if Jesse McCree even had feelings for him still to really worry about being caught if nothing fucking happened. He had no intentions of making his feelings obvious for McCree or at least saying them out loud, especially not now. Gabriel just wanted Jesse to be comfortable around him again.

 

“I, uh, golly, Boss. Gotta say I’m mighty flattered but ain't it kind of inappropriate?” Jesse chuckled nervously as he let Gabriel up and sat back on the mat. 

 

“Never stopped you in the decade I’ve known you, Jesse.” Gabriel deadpanned, making Jesse rub the back of his neck bashfully as his entire face was red.

 

“T-that's ain't what I meant, Gabe!”

 

“I don't care what you are under it all. You’re Jesse McCree, my right hand man, and not even being extraterrestrial will stop me from thinking highly of you. I never once stopped helping you get back on your feet when you looked like your ‘natural’ self, Jesse, why would I want our relationship to change because of that if it's who you are?”

 

Jesse frowned, rubbing his watering eyes to hide how moved he was by Gabriel’s declaration. “Yer plum crazy to want me to continue flirtin’ with ya, Boss.”

 

“Depends. Do you want to cut out the ‘line’ all together and actually do something about our feelings or are you done with trying to pursue me?” Gabriel asked honestly as he looked at Jesse, his heart rapidly pounding in his chest as he finally got around to asking him the question.

 

“I want ya bad, Gabe, but I don't want anyone calling you an ‘alien fucker’ or somethin’ like that! I respect ya too much to let this whole thing drag you down as well. Someday it’s gonna slip that I ain't human and god only knows how much hell that will bring down on us!” Jesse sobbed heavily as his fingers gripped the plastic covering of the mat. “I’m a fucking freakshow!”

 

Gabriel firmly grabbed the sides of Jesse’s face with his hands and made the crying man look up at him as he narrowed his eyes at him. “You may be an eccentric cowboy who knows how to piss me the fuck off but you certainly aren't a freak show, Jesse McCree, and you already know what kind of a looney bin we’re up against to keep some semblance world peace. So, don’t feel like shit because of how you were born because I won't fucking tolerate anyone treating you less than a respectable agent of Blackwatch. You put in a whole lot of yourself to change how people perceive you these past ten years and absolutely nothing short of betrayal is going to make me change my feelings for you. You are Jesse McCree, United States citizen, and a proud member of Blackwatch. Say it back to me, Jesse.”

 

Jesse was an absolute sobbing mess but managed to take several deep breaths to try and calm himself. “My name is Jesse McCree, I’m a United States citizen, and a proud member of Blackwatch!”

 

“Are these things true?”

 

“Yes!”

 

Gabriel's hands eased up on how hard they were holding Jesse’s face so that his thumbs could help brush away the tears that continued to run down the cowboy’s face. He leaned in and pressed his forehead to Jesse’s with a warm smile on his lips.

 

“You know who you are, Jesse. No one can take that from you. Have pride in how far you’ve come and the people you’ve gained as family. I won't ever look at you in fear because I know you who you are and will always trust you to have my six.”

 

Jesse wrapped his arms around Gabriel and held him tightly as Gabe’s hands went to rub soothing circles into his back. Life was bitch to Jesse McCree but Gabriel wasn’t going to let it drag Jesse down, alien or not. 

 

They kissed for the first time and Gabriel knew it wouldn't be any different than if he kissed someone else, except being much more satisfying because it was Jesse’s lips on his own.

 

They left that room with a better understanding of themselves and where the other stood. Warm and comforting feelings filling them up as they showered off and went to their respective room for the night. There was no need to rush this at all and a kiss was good way to end the night.

 

Tomorrow was the start of a new day, after all.

 

\--

 

Talon’s supposed lack of interest on Jesse literally blew up in his and everyone else’s face a week later. It was early morning and Jesse was making breakfast while Gabriel was getting dressed for the morning before several explosions ripped apart the Zürich base. Gabriel was knocked off his ass and almost crushed by his falling dresser if he didn't roll out of the way fast enough. The explosions came from several floors up from what he could gather before he pulled on his chest plate and equipped every single gun he had on him.

 

The lights were out but luckily the back up lights game on, illuminating the hallway in an ominous red glow to help them find the emergency exits; which in the basement meant the staircase. Jesse rushed over in his oversized T-shirt and pajama pants, Peacemaker in hand with a relieved smile on his face when Gabriel opened the door fully armed. They embraced for a second before synching their movements with shotguns and Peacekeeper drawn, both covering each other naturally as they moved from the dorms to the general living quarters.

 

“Can you see, McCree?” Gabriel whispered softly as he watched people move around in the dust that hung in the air.

 

“Kendall to the left behind the loveseat, I think she’s talking to Sanchez but they’re whispering. Philstein’s in the room cause I ran by him to get to the dorm.” Jesse responded with a hushed voice, keeping Peacekeeper at the ready as more shadows came into focus. Out of all the nice little tidbits Jesse confided in Gabriel the month or so, his heightened senses were incredibly useful in tense situations like this. Another explosion shook the building, dropping more dust from the ceiling as Jesse pressed himself close enough to Gabe’s side that it was almost painful.

 

Gabriel pulled off his beanie to bring it to his mouth to filter the air. “Okay. We’re going to have to use the ‘call’. You have permission to shoot anyone who doesn't respond.”

 

Jesse gulped nervously at that but nodded his head. “I trust ya, Gabe. I’ll make every hit count.”

 

“BARN!!!” Gabriel screamed at the top of his lungs and immediately several voices replied with yells of various barn animals before he quickly looked at Jesse and watched as he stood up and immediately fired four shots into the center of the room. Four bodies fell to the floor, heavier thuds than should be possible from Blackwatch members waking up in their PJs. 

 

“MARCO!!” Reyes yelled loudly again. An unfortunate, lone ‘polo!’ from the far right was gun downed by Jesse with one shot.

 

They continued this game of ‘call and response’ until six bodies laid on the floor and all present Blackwatch members at the base gathered with Gabriel to run to the weapons locker to get their gear. Jesse and Gabriel guarded the doorway both looking down the opposite side of the other. Tension was high as they waited for everyone to gear up while Gabriel continue to play with the commlink on his ear, desperate to get in contact with Jack to know what the fuck was going on.

 

“You taste something sweet, Gabe?” Jesse suddenly asked, drawing Gabriel out of his insistent toying with the earpiece to pause.

 

‘Sweet’? Poison gas?

 

“Masks on! We got chems being deployed!” Gabe yelled back into the room, quickly setting aside one of his shotguns as two gas masks were tossed to him and he passed one to Jesse. McCree took off his hat and pulled the mask on, adjusting the strap so it was secure on his face before plopping his hat back on his head. Gabriel rolled his eyes and pulled on his own quickly as the rest of the team was suited up behind him.

 

“Whoever these motherfuckers are, they’re using fucking gas on us, and we all know that six ducks were sent in full, heavy gear for some reason. Either they want Blackwatch out of the way or someone snitched on McCree and they’re here to collect.” Gabriel spoke to his team, voice muffled by the air filter. “Even if they are here for McCree, don't expect us handing him over gives us a free pass to live. So don't even fucking think about it or I’ll shoot you myself.”

 

That got them looking away from McCree real quick and actually thinking about forcing the enemy out of the base rather than restraining Reyes, and getting their arms broken, to try to kick Jesse to the enemy.

 

Another explosion shook the building and Gabriel spat out a curse, knowing it was only a matter of time before the ceiling came crashing down on them and looked at his men. All of them were nervous, maybe not visibly but he could feel their eyes on him looking to him for order in all of this chaos. He gritted his teeth and glared at them all. “We’re going to kill them for this! Not just the asshole on site but the ones who planned this! Let’s show them that they picked a fight with the wrong motherfuckers!”

 

The entire team pumped their fists in a silent cheer before Gabriel started giving order, splitting up the team with orders to execute hostiles and rescue whoever the can. Jesse stayed by Gabriel as the others fanned out with their orders, leaving just the two of them at the weapons locker.

 

“Jesse. I want you to promise me something before we go out there.” Gabriel started, talking as calmly as he could while gunfire filled the hallways further away. Jesse had Peacekeeper up and ready as he kept a sharp eye out. 

 

“What now, Gabe? I reckon we skedaddle while we still can.”

 

“No shit, Sherlock, but it’s just for clarification sakes that I’m saying this.” Gabriel grumbled as he looked firmly at Jesse. “Kill everyone who points a gun at you. Don’t take chances trying to talk it out with anyone because somehow bombs managed to make it into the fucking Overwatch Headquarters undetected, got it?”

 

Jesse’s eyes widened in horror at that. “Are you saying it’s a setup, Gabe?”

 

“Don’t focus on that right now, Jesse. If anyone points a gun at you and fires, they are fucking dead, understand me? Anyone who knows your secret would not be stupid enough to raise their gun at you, alien-form or not! Do not give them the chance to kill or capture you, understand?!”

 

“But what about you? What’s the plan?!”

 

Gabriel reached down to fish out the physical keys to the various safe houses Blackwatch used and took one off the chain to hold it out to Jesse. “You’re going to Italy, McCree. Use the chit I have stashed in the house to stay low and comfortable until I can come get you, alright? Run if anyone comes to check the house, including Jack. You know how to contact me if anything happens, right?” He placed a hand on Jesse’s shoulders as the man visibly fought to push back his tears before reaching reluctantly to take the key from him. “The moment we get top-side you book it through whatever means necessary until I get everything sorted out, alright?”

 

Jesse was visibly in pain, clutching the key in his metal hand before swallowing all of that and shoving it down into his pants pocket. “Roger! Let’s give them hell and have ourself an Italian date!”

 

Gabriel smiled and took his hand off his shoulder, reaching for the shotguns on his hip holsters. “Let’s send them to Hell, free of charge, McCree!”

 

\--

 

Gabriel didn’t survive the final detonation.

 

Jesse was in Italy when he heard the news and Gabriel never showed up at the safe house. He couldn’t look away from the endless TV reports on the holo set and heavy loss in his heart as he regretted so much. The one person who really understood him and wanted him was now dead. Overwatch was to be dismantled since Jack Morrison and Ana Amari died as well in the inferno. He had nowhere to call home, no cheesy Italian date with Reyes to pass the time together.

 

And so he eventually made his way back to the United States, became a bounty hunter that swore to bring down the bad guys, to bring peace to the land that Gabriel called his home. 

 

\--

 

“About time I found you, Jesse McCree.” 

 

Talon managed to pin him down for once instead of sending their flunkies after him. Electrical nets, flamethrowers, tranquilizing darts, the whole shebang to hunt down an alien wearing human clothing. Their tactics were far more strategic too with Reaper leading the assault, ambush after ambush stripping away his flesh and wearing down his strength in the week-long game of cat and mouse. Jesse’s bullets ran out well into day three but getting guns off of dead bodies was child’s play when he conserved his revolver bullets for headshots on enemies he knew that had hand guns and the like on them.

 

Of course things when right down the shitter when Reaper actually went in after him personally. A well placed grenade trap blew off the majority of his flesh on the right half of his body, exposing his black exoskeleton underneath. The grunts accompanying Reaper were not afraid one bit and aimed their specialty hunting gear at him while Reaper stalked over to him, metal boot clanging heavy on the concrete ground of the shipping lot they managed to corner him at. 

 

Twin shotguns gleaming as he materialized them in his hands, the smoke radiating off of his body all Reaper’s to command and shape. Jesse was bleeding heavily from the flesh half that remained over his exoskeleton, trying to keep that part of his disguise alive even though it was draining his strength.

 

“Fucking pain in the ass.” Jesse spat as he glared up at Reaper while sitting on the ground, not bothering to fight while he tried to figure out Talon’s motivations. Mostly seeing if he really had to put himself through the ringer to fully shift into his real form even though it was going to be a pain in the ass regrowing half of his body anyways. “Ain’t this kind of excessive to hunt one guy down?”

 

Reaper slowly dropped down on one knee and tilted his head at Jesse curiously, the chilling white bone mask obscuring an unnatural pair of red eyes as he leaned in to look at him. “You stood me up at Italy.” Reaper whispered to him with the most eerie electronic voice filter he ever heard.

 

Italy? He hadn’t been to Italy in about five years now.

 

“I think you go the wrong guy, Partner.” Jesse chuckled nervously as he looked off to the side.

 

“BARN!”

 

Jesse pulled out the handgun on him and fired on anyone Reaper wasn’t, Talon grunts scrambling to run as an inhuman roar filled the air. Reaper dispersed into a cloud of black smoke, chasing down and pulling his shotgun to put a hole in any survivor’s head while McCree grappled the one blasting a flamethrower at him. He knocked the useless weapon away as flames harmlessly engulfed him now that he shedded all of his flesh, all of his eyes now open, and grabbed the merc throwing him like a ragdoll into the side of a cargo container, knocking the thing clean off the stack while they body made a sizeable bloody dent in the metal. Reaper quickly ran over to McCree and saw the perplexed look on the cowboy’s fac- Okay, more like many expressive eyes, but he knew he was confused without him ever saying anything.

 

“It’s me, McCree.” He quickly shoved away one of his shotguns to pull off his mask for a minute to let Jesse see his face. Those eyes widened in recognition and shock before narrowing into an ugly glare as Reaper hooked his mask back on. “I bought every single agent Talon had me train for this capture so we have maybe twenty left scattered about the shipping docks that we have to clear out before I can tell you what the fuck happened, alright? Stop glaring at me like that!” Reaper reformed the shotgun in his grip before they both darted for cover as bullets came raining down on them.

 

A low pitched growl came from McCree and Reaper found himself shoved down onto the concrete as Jesse covered him with his body when they were suddenly flanked. His tail detached from his spinal column before whipping hard into one of them, cutting the armorless grunt in half while the other ran away in fright from the sight.

 

“Get of me, McCree!” Gabriel had to practically shove him off with all of his strength, not wraithing to get out from under him to prove a point as he glared at him. “I can’t die from stupid shit, McCree! I AM dead! I’ll get they guy who ran, they’re setting up a gatling gun down in section B that needs to be taken out pronto, watch for the guys with the nets!” 

 

McCree nodded his head and climbed the shipping containers as quietly as possible, utilizing the darkness of the night to avoid the blockades the Talon agents were setting up. It was unnatural for him to move like this, scaling the cargo containers like a lizard would and using his tail to act as a counter-weight for balance. There were searchlights on in the area so he had to scale the sides of the crates carefully, and ducking inside the empty ones that were higher up to avoid being spotted as he slowly made his way through with Gabriel assassinated everyone who came in his way since they were expecting to hear gunshots anyways.

 

Still, his mind constantly wandered to Gabriel as he kept darting in and out to get to through the back lines undetected. What happened to him? How was he alive? What’s with his spooky ghost powers? In a lot of ways, they were both different now. Gabriel likely could not walk around in public with literal vents oozing black smoke from his cheeks while the red eyes would be easy to explain away as being contacts or some shit. He had to admit that being able to ghost in as a cloud of black smoke and reform wherever he wanted was pretty badass though. Being an alien didn’t sound too cool now that Gabriel went and one upped him in the badass department with his powers.

 

Jesse glanced up and finally found the marker for lot B, he could hear a lot of chatter, mostly nervous whispering from the Talon grunts that were likely up high on the cargo crate stacks with that gatling gun Gabriel mentioned earlier. He could hear shotguns in the distance and the occasional bloodcurdling scream, making Gabriel seem more of the sci-fi monster than he ever was with his meticulous hunting down of the Talon agents throughout the shipping yard. He was going to have to move fast to cause a distraction and get that mounted gun down before they start to get suspicious of Reaper’s motives. Time to play the part of the alien horror, he guessed.

 

He leapt out of the shadows, imitating the scariest mashing of animal roars that he found capable of scaring the shit out of HIMSELF and grabbed the head of one of the stunned guards near the gun, throwing him off before charging forward. The guy on the gatling gun itself had no time to react as Jesse plowed right into the weapon, knocking both the wielder and the gatling gun over with a loud bang while the others shot the electrical nets at him. The electrical nets barely tickled as he slashed through them, making Jesse think that Gabriel didn’t really know all that much about his alien form enough to have effective counter measures to contain him. Everything was meant to disable him in his human form.

 

The realization that there honestly wasn’t a lot humans knew about him, even Gabriel, tugged at his heartstrings. The realization they never really talked about effective countermeasures about him really showed that Gabriel wasn’t worried about him going rogue to have a backup plan to counter him.

 

Gabriel had that much confidence in him and his ability to stay on the straight and narrow.

 

The bullets reflecting harmlessly off his exoskeleton brought him back into the fold. He had agents to kill and Gabriel was expecting him to pull his weight. Jesse wasn’t about to let him down after they finally reunited after all of these years and went to work smashing some heads in as quick as possible.

 

\--

 

When it was all over and Gabriel effectively wiped the security footage of them ever being there after turning all the bodies to ash, Jesse found hims sitting beside Gabriel inside one of the empty crates to have that ‘talk’ he promised. Gabriel pulled his hood back, exposing his heavily scarred bald head, and took off his mask to set it down on his lap. Jesse could see there was more than just vents in his skin but actual gaps where his cheeks should be that show unnaturally long, sharp, teeth and his skin tone constantly fluctuated from a corpse white to a diluted brown.

 

“Yeah. The news reports were right about me dying in the explosion, Jesse. Talon botched the resurrection tech they stole from Angela and it has left me in a state of limbo; dying but also not since the nanites are malfunctioning.” Gabriel sighed as he slowly shook his head, clearly exhausted from the long fight. “Talon has some freaks in its upper ranks that want you for obvious reasons that don’t need stating. When they couldn’t find you in Italy after they captured me they started drilling me for information then started me training a unit to capture you. Of course you know that I don’t know jackshit about how to deal with you after the skin comes off but I figured that was a loophole you could exploit.”

 

Jesse nodded his head, not feeling comfortable enough to engage in conversation with a lack of lips to help make him easier to understand without repeating himself. His thought process was pretty much in sync with what he thought Gabriel’s obvious lack of insight was regarding his natural form.

 

“I’m just- I’m really sorry I didn’t come for you sooner, Jesse.” Gabriel admitted quietly, unable to look up from his lap as he looked at the white, bone, mask in his lap. There was a lot of weight in his voice, regretting leaving him alone for five years while he wandered and doled out justice. He didn’t have any tear ducts so he couldn’t express how hard it was at this moment to move on from Gabriel and he had to hold the weight in his chest from the pain of his death all those years ago. “You did good though. You have no idea how proud I was to hear you were being a pain in the ass to the assholes of the world as a bounty hunter.” He chuckled quietly. “It doesn’t make up for me not communicating with you for five years though.”

 

Gabe…

 

“I needed Talon to trust me until I was absolutely sure who exactly brought the roof down on us that day in Zurich. I have a list of names that I am confident we can narrow together if you’re interested in working with me again.” Gabriel then paused and shook his head. “Unless you rather continue on your own like you have been, I’m fine with that. You have no obligation anymore to listen to me. I have a few places we can lay low and you can regrow your skin again. I’ll let you give me your answer on that when you feel able, alright?”

 

It definitely did not sound like a guilt trip or Gabriel trying to put him in his debt again. He genuinely wanted to care for him, get him back on his feet Jesse nodded his head and gently reached with long clawed fingers to lay his hand over Gabe’s. The chance to be with Gabriel again after five years of trying to live without him? Of course he would stand by his side again. Gabriel looked up at him and chuckled nervously.

 

“Okay. Wait here.” Gabriel spoke as he stood up and dispersed into smoke before leaving Jesse alone in the crate. He came back a few minutes later and reformed himself, his hat and Peacekeeper in his hands. “I couldn’t salvage anything else.” Gabriel apologized as he handed the items to Jesse’s reaching hands. “Also… I’m sorry about luring you into the grenade. I needed to incapacitate you enough so I could go in for the ‘capture’ and have the idiots with me report that in. It was my ‘get out of jail for free’ card and leaves Talon confused about why all their alien operatives are dead except the one that can’t be killed, of course.”

 

Makes perfect sense to Jesse. It leaves Gabriel a way to continue to work with Talon while they work together to kill those who took their home from them by him continuing to play the long con. But, at least he apologized for tossing him on a grenade since that hurt like a motherfucker.

 

“Okay. So the plan for now is to get you into an unmarked van I have and we’ll get you to one of my safe houses. It’s a bit of a drive but there’s a mattress you can lay and rest on when you’re ready to go.”

 

Jesse nodded his head and the both of them headed out. The drive was as long as Gabriel said it would be, almost a three day drive, to be exact. It was an old warehouse but was fully furnished inside with a sophisticated security system and someone waiting for them as they walked in around one in the morning. A woman with half her head shaved, with her hair laid over on one side and dyed purple. Her jaw dropped as she saw Jesse walk in behind Gabriel, wearing only sweats at her desk. 

 

“Holy shit, Gabe. You were not joking about the ‘alien’ thing after all!” 

 

“Not now, Sombra. I’m tired.” Gabriel groaned as he tossed the keys of the van onto the counter and pulled his leather coat off to hang up on the wall hook along with his mask. “This is Jesse. Don't ask him questions outside of ‘yes’ and ‘no’. He has permission to kill you if you record any footage of him.”

 

Sombra popped her mouth closed and shot a look at Gabriel that screamed ‘are you fucking with me?’ before swirling back to her monitors to start scrubbing recording data from the outside cameras and the hidden interior ones before deactivating those specific ones. Gabriel looked at Jesse and gestured him to follow him into one of the many cheaply assembled rooms, closing the door behind Jesse after he ducked in with him. It was a sizeable bedroom with the mattress relocated to the floor with plenty of comforters stacked beside it and at least six pillows on top of the mattress. There was a table with a plethora of medical supplies from gauzes to surgical tools along with a pressure cleaner for the tools in case they had to perform multiple surgeries. An IV stand was in the corner along with a surgical tray one along with a mini fridge that he assumed held a variety of drugs that Angela used the first time along with saline packs for the IV drip. Gabriel was very prepared to take care of him during his rehabilitation and Jesse found himself falling in love with the guy yet again.

 

Gabriel started stripping out of his black armor and clothing as Jesse glanced over at the dresser in the corner along with a small cot nearby it. Was Gabriel planning on staying with him the entire time? 

 

“I’m going to go shower, Jesse. There’s a few water bottles in the mini fridge beside my cot if you get thristy.” 

 

Jesse nodded his head and took a seat on the very soft mattress, watching Gabriel intently as he stripped down to his jockstrap and tossed his leathers into a pile in the corner. He then watched him pull out a pair of black boxers, sweat pants, a T-shirt, and a familiar dark grey hoodie that was lacking a Blackwatch patch in the shoulder. It had to be new since he likely lost everything in the final explosion that took his life. Gabriel pulled on the sweatpants for decency and gave Jesse one last look before leaving the room, closing the door gently behind him.

 

After a little exploring, Jesse found that there was a heating pad under the bed cover and flipped it on before making the bed. Gabriel came back in a few minutes after Jesse securely curled up under the comforters for warmth, he popped his head out to see Gabe toweling himself off, shirtless with his sweat pants low on his hips and gleaming. Jesse felt himself swallow the lump in his throat as Gabriel walked by his bed over to the cot, tossing his shirt and hoodie onto it letting him get a nice look at the muscles of his back, bringing back feelings he wasn't sure Gabriel would be comfortable knowing an alien held for him. It was strange having his alien anatomy reacting to the sexual urge rather than his very functional human form. Jesse had to push the thoughts aside, it wasn't fair to Gabe.

 

There weren't any lips for Gabriel to enjoy, no soft flesh to mold his body into, he was a cold alien, something no one should have feelings for much less final sexually appealing. That was until Gabriel padded over to Jesse and sat down on one side of the mattress. 

 

“Listen, Jesse. I’ve had a lot of time to think about things. Some things I was not originally comfortable with pursuing while I was your commander and some that made me question if it was really fair to you.” He started, obviously nervous as he occasionally looked back at his lap. “Five years is a lot of time to think about one’s priorities.”

 

Jesse nodded his head slowly, his heart racing inside of his chest as he intently memorized the scene playing out and hoping it was a confession that Gabriel was trying to spit out.

 

Please let it be a confession for once in his miserable life!

 

“What I’m trying to say is that I don’t exactly mind the idea of us, like ‘us’.” Gabriel looked up at Jesse and raised his hand to point at Jesse and then himself, repeating the gesture twice to make sure it was more obvious. “Of course that means all of you, including the you sitting beside me, Jesse. But that assumes that you want me the way I am right now.” He frowned slightly at that and Jesse reached for him, placing his cold hand on Gabriel’s equally cold one. Jesse gave it a delicate, reassuring squeeze as he leaned forward and pressed the equivalent on his forehead against’s Gabriel's as he softly purred.

 

He wanted Gabriel so much. He wanted his acceptance and love most of all. Gabriel Reyes was the world to him.

 

Gabriel’s breath hitched and he leaned forward into the touch, hands reaching for Jesse. “I’m so sorry that I let you think I was dead for five years.” He reached up and gently gripped Jesse’s shoulder armor. “Things were suppose to be different that day but not in such a catastrophic way. We were suppose to start anew. I wouldn’t have kissed you the night before if I didn’t intend for things to change in a positive way for you, Jesse.”

 

Jesse held him then, wishing so badly that he was flesh so he could tell him that he loved him so much. That as much shit the explosion ruined everything, it allowed them both to be liberated in a sense. He would figure out someway to help Gabriel now, try to ease his burdens like he did before but hopefully on equal ground as partners.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave me your general thoughts and comments!


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